Violin Shifting Video Summary

Learn how to shift back and forth on the violin consistently in the video above.

It’s essential to avoid bad habits of grabbing the neck too hard in the first position.

You also need to make sure you have a proper hold on your shoulder rest to make shifting smooth.

What I recommend is for students to focus on the thumb position in the left-hand when first starting to shift.

Work on scales like D Major and C Major in two octaves which you can find the sheet music to here.

With these scales, focus mainly on what you are doing as you go back from 3rd to 1st position.

The key is making sure the index and the move together.

Never allow the thumb to stay back or to go farther than it should into the first position.

Violin Shifting Lesson – Additional Tips

Don’t press too hard into the fingerboard when playing the violin (especially 4th fingers).

Pay attention to how high your fingers pop up in the air in general when playing the violin.

Don’t let fingers pop up in the air as you place another one down (implies over-pressing).

If you are interested in improving your vibrato, I’ve put together a very detailed course called Perfect Vibrato that will teach you everything you need to know from top to bottom. You can check out more about the course here.